In Latvia’s State Audit’s opinion Interior Affairs Ministry and Provision State Agency have not organized sufficient and efficient management of their owned real estate property. Inappropriate and unplanned use of funding allocated for the construction of firefighters depot, use of state property for private needs, disorganized allocation of apartments to officials, lack of appropriate rent fees and planning are but some of the problems uncovered during the audit.

«Enough time was provided to sort out management of real estate properties. Instead of results, however, we see irrational planning, waste of money allocated with intention of improving firefighters’ day-to-day environment, favourable treatment of high-rank officials, unauthorized use of space intended for the firefighters’ depot for needs of a hunting club, as well as provision of low rent fees for use of apartments. Such double standards should be prevented to make sure society does not lose its trust in state administration,» said State Auditor Elita Krūmiņa.

Could’ve saved three million euros

The state auditor says the largest amount of funding was allocated for the renovation of State Fire and Rescue Service’s depot. «Unfortunately the use of this funding has not been sufficiently efficient or economic so far. SFRS’ construction initiatives received no sufficient control from Interior Affairs Ministry. As a result, the depots were too large. Some of their rooms are not used to their full potential. Building maintenance costs are also too high.»

Proper construction planning of the six depots could have helped save at least EUR 2.8 million, State Audit notes.

«Lack of standard construction projects proves inefficiency. This approach would have benefitted depot construction. Another problem is the fact that SFRS’ developed technical goals included two times more construction workers than was necessary, even though there are no plans to increase the number of workers. Had the depot rooms been planned rationally with allocated funding in mind, more depots could have been built in Latvia. Unfortunately, none of the territories that suffer from low efficiency of SFRS were included in the construction plans, demonstrating the glaring lack of proper management of real estate properties,» as concluded by State Audit.

Firefighters and rescuers forced to wash work apparel at home

State Audit mentions that a situation when funding allocated for depot construction was used solely for construction work and not for procurement of equipment, furniture and necessary machineries. «Firefighters and rescuers are not even provided with important facilities like work apparel washing and drying machines. There are rooms intended for them, but no equipment to put in them. Firefighters and rescuers of Ērgļi depot are forced to wash their work apparel at home. Kitchen equipment for Ape depot was procured by firefighters without state support.»

The allocated EUR 11.5 million were enough to build only some of the planned depots. Because of that, it is now necessary to search for additional funding to commence construction of fire and rescue depots in Riga and Daugavpils. The real priorities become clear when you consider that more than EUR 2 million of the allocated funding was not used for construction of depots or improvement of firefighters’ and rescuers’ work conditions in the countryside. Instead this money was used for the construction of a new administrative building in Riga region, State Audit reports.

Ķeipene depot managed by a hunting club

The audit also revealed that illegal activities were performed with sate property in Ogre, Ķeipene County. Specifically, the State Fire and Rescue Service’s depot was being used for different hunting-related activities. No lease agreements are signed and no lease fees are paid for use of premises.

Since 2009, Plauži hunting club has been registered at Ķeipene firefighters depot’s address. Its chairman is the director of Fire Safety and Civil Defence College. The contact telephone number is the same as the official work phone number of the chief of SFRS Financial Planning Office. Several high-ranking SFRS officials were well-informed about this situation. During the audit, however the address and contact number of the hunting club were changed. Nevertheless, the State Audit has turned to Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau.

Three times more expensive for cadets

The audit revealed that interior affairs sector’s apartments are leased at least partially from the state budget. Some tenants, including one high-rank SFRS official, are provided with more favourable rent fee contracts than other tenants. Cadets of the Fire Safety and Civil Protection College are charged rent per 1 m2, which is nearly three times higher than the rent fee for the deputy chief of SFRS.

Lack of proper monitoring and planning

The portfolio of real estate properties owned by the interior affairs sector is expansive. The majority of them are in a critical state, and funding for their maintenance is limited. Because of that, it is important to secure a unified development look.

If someone hoped to see Latvia compile a government before the national holiday, they are going to be disappointed – three parties have decided to exit government formation talks headed by New Conservative Party. NCP’s prime minister candidate Jānis Bordāns receive criticism for having too ambitious and expensive goals. NCP, on the other hand, says parties did not try to study the party’s offers.

On Friday, 16 November, Public Utilities Commission decided to commence a dispute procedure between a natural gas consumer and AS Gaso in regards to natural gas supplies, as confirmed by the commission.

While President Raimonds Vējonis is busy picking the next prime minister candidate, politicians of different parties are performing informal consultations. No official consultations are currently planned.

The Estonian government has taken a long time to reach a unanimous position on the United Nation's Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. This has been criticised by Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid, who has to attend a conference in favour of the document in Morocco in December.

Reinis Tumovs, co-owner of Ukrainian CityCommerce Bank, has been detained in Latvia. He is suspected of embezzling nearly UAH 300 million (EUR 9.5 million), as confirmed by Ukrainian National Police Economy Protection Department on Thursday, 15 November.

As parties’ efforts to form a new government continue, Latvia’s President Raimonds Vējonis plans to consider two new prime minister candidates – KPV LV leader Aldis Gobzems and Attīstībai/Par! candidate Artis Pabriks.

European Commission’s proposed regulation on organization of agriculture products market provides for reducing EU funding for the support programme on provision of fruits, vegetables and milk for schools by EUR 29.2 million or the same as United Kingdom’s share.

In Cambodia, the two most senior living leaders of the Khmer Rouge Communist regime have been found guilty of their role in the atrocities that resulted in the deaths of at least 1.7 million in Cambodia between 1977 and 1979.

Parties elected to the 13th Saeima have picked representatives to work in the parliament’s standing committees. Final decision will be made 20 November. Harmony may be represented by deputies Nikolajs Kabanovs and Jānis Tutins in Saeima’s Foreign Affairs Committee. Attīstībai/Par! has picked Artis Pabriks, and Union of Greens and Farmers has picked Uldis Augulis.

The sky will become clear every now and then. Still, some rain is expected for the country’s centenary. Wet snow is expected in the country’s eastern regions. It will be dry in the country for the most part next week, as reported by Latvian State Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre.

Culture Ministry has proposed forming Media Ethics Council. The majority of institutions of the media industry have started working on a self-regulatory council and development of a Single Latvian Media Ethics Code, as reported by the ministry’s public relations office manager Lita Kokale.

Nikolajs Kabanovs and Jānis Tutins may become Harmony’s representatives in Saeima’s Foreign Affairs Committee, whereas Valērijs Agešins may become the party’s representative in the National Security Committee.

The Department of Civil Cases of the Supreme Court has ruled that the verdict of Riga Regional Court – one that penalized Riga Freeport authority for breach of Competition Law against PKL Flote – was correct. Now Riga Freeport has ten days, starting with 13 November, to pay the company EUR 1.35 million to cover damages caused by this violation, BNN was told by PKL Flote board chairman Sergejs Odincovs.

In the UK government, Brexit minister Dominic Raab and Northern Ireland's junior minister have resigned in disagreement with the country's draft withdrawal agreement with the EU, already passed by the government.

Documents detailing KGB workers’ names, nationality, work place, participation in the Communist party are not covered by the Personal Data Protection Regulation, stresses Saeima deputy Ritvars Jansons from the National Alliance ‘All for Latvia’ – ‘For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK’.

Members of the European Parliament welcome the reforms Georgia has commenced. At the same time, Moldova was criticized for its worsened state of democracy and rule of law, as reported by EP press-secretary in Latvia Signe Znotiņa-Znota.

The government of Ireland has stated that draft withdrawal agreement between Irish neighbour, the UK, and the European Union, Dublin had achieved a satisfying result in all its priorities, also regarding the border on the island of Ireland.

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